The United States men's national soccer team's advancement in the World Cup has translated into record-breaking television viewership, with their recent 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina drawing the largest English-language audience in U.S. history for a soccer telecast. Preliminary ratings indicate the match averaged 24.429 million viewers, with a peak of nearly 32 million tuning in, according to Fox Sports PR.
This historic viewership follows a trend set earlier in the tournament. The team's World Cup opener against Paraguay, a 4-1 win, had previously set records, attracting 15,986,000 viewers and becoming the most-watched USMNT telecast at the time, as well as the top-viewed FIFA Men's World Cup Group Stage telecast in English-language U.S. history.
The match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, saw Folarin Balogun score the opening goal in the 45th minute. Despite a controversial red card issued to Balogun later in the game, midfielder Malik Tillman secured the win with a free-kick goal in the 82nd minute. Balogun's red card makes him ineligible for the upcoming Round of 16 match against Belgium.
The U.S. Men's National Team's performance in the World Cup has not only been a success on the field but has also significantly boosted television ratings, indicating a growing interest in soccer within the United States. The upcoming match against Belgium is anticipated to potentially challenge or surpass the viewership numbers from the latest victory.